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(No Model.)

0. S. GARRETSON. Furniture Caster.

No. 238,673. Patented March 8, I881.

UNTTEE STATES PATENT @EEEQE.

OLIVER S. GARRETSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FURNlTURE-CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,673, dated March 8, 1881.

Application filed June 1, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER S. GARRETSON, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Furniture-Casters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of casters in which the wheel, with its spindle or pivot, is made removable from the socket in which the pivot turns, and at the same time so connected with the socket that the pivot will not accidentally become detached from the socket'when the piece of furniture to which the caster is applied is lifted.

My invention consists of a caster-socket composed of two like parts, each provided on its inner side with a spiral rib, which is arranged at the same height in each half of the socket and turned up at its lower end, forming a pocket in which the lug of the pivot is caught, whereby each half of the socket may -be cast from the same pattern and any two halves be put together and form a complete socket; also in forming a horizontal ledge at the upper end of each spiral rib, and a space for the entrance of the pivot-lug at the end of the ledge above the pocket, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is asectional elevation of my improved caster. Figs. 2 and 3 are inside elevations of the two parts of the socket. Fig. 4 is an outside elevation of the socket. Figs. 5 and 6 are horizontal sections in line no a; and y g respectively, in Fig. 1.

'Like letters of reference designate like parts in the several figures.

A represents the leg of the piece of furniture to which the caster is attached; B, the caster-wheel 5 (J, the bifurcated bearing thereof, and D the pivot or spindle, provided near its upper end with a projecting lug or teat, d.

E E represent the two parts of the cylindrical socket in which the pivot D turns, and which is divided diametrically into two equal halves, the two parts of the socket being constructed alike in all respects.

f is a horizontal ledge or lip arranged in the (No model.)

upper portion of each part of the socket and extending to one side of the socket, but stopping short ot the other side, where a space, g, is formed for the lug (l of the pivot.

h is a spiral rib extending from the horizontal ledge f downward in the socket to the opposite side thereof, where the spiral rib h is turned up, so as to form, on the upper side of the ribh, a depressed pocket, 2'. When the two parts E of the socket are placed face to face the two spiral ribs h cross each other, the open spaces g and the horizontal ledgesf being on opposite sides of the socket, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The parts Eof the socket are provided on their outer sides With vertical ribs It, in the usual manner, for preventin g the socket from turning in its seat.

Upon inserting the pivot D in the socket the lug d of the pivot will come in contact with the under side of one of the spiral ribs h, and ride up on the same, and finally pass through one of the spaces 9 into the space above the horizontal ledges f, where the pivot is in its normal position,'as shown in Fig. 1. When the leg Ais lifted thelug d of the pivotis supported upon the upper side of one of the horizontal ledges f, or if the lug d should drop through one of the spaces y it is received in one of the pockets 1; underneath the spaces 1 and supported therein, and in either case the pivot is prevented from dropping out of the socket. In inserting the pivot D into the socket the spiral rib It will guide the pivot automatically to its proper place without requiring any effort for the purpose.

The two parts E E, which constitute the socket, being exactly alike, they are cast from the same pattern, and any two parts picked up at random will fit together and form a complete socket, thereby dispensing with the use of right and left parts and the assorting of the parts, which would be rendered necessary by such construction.

If desired, the horizontal ledges f may be omitted, when the lug cl of the pivot will do scend directly into one of the pockets 1' when the leg A is raised; but I prefer the construction shown, for the reason that the lug d will enter the pocket 6 from the space 9 in a vertical direction, thereby preventing the lug from jumping out of the pocket, which might occur when it enters the socket in an inclined direction, following the spiral rib h.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the caster-pivot D, provided with the lug d, of a socket composed of two like parts, each provided on its inner side with a spiral rib, h, turned up at its lower end, forming a pocket, 1', in which the 10 lug of the pivot. is held, the rib 71, being arranged at the same height in each half of the socket, whereby both halves may be cast from the same pattern, and any two halves be put together and form a complete socket, the two ribs h of the same socket crossing each other 15 when the two halves of the socket are put together, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the caster-pivot D, prox'ided With lug d, of a socket composed of two like parts, E, each provided on its in- 20 ner side with a horizontal ledge, f, space {1, spiral rib h, and pocket 1', arranged below the space g, substantially as set forth.

OLIVER S. GARRETSON.

Witnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, EDW. J. BRADY. 

